venison

Earthy mushrooms, wine, and tomato bring out the best in this tender game meat. The mushrooms, with their meaty texture, round out the portion, so you get an extra-generous amount on your plate. If you can't get venison, pork tenderloin works well, too.

Stuffed peppers come out well on the grill if you don't make them too big. I like to mix ground meats and season the stuffed peppers heavily. Be sure to cook a little of the meat mixture to test the seasonings before you stuff the peppers, since the salt and spice levels of the various sausage meats and seasoning mixes vary widely.

_**Editor's note:** The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted from Andreas Viestad's book_ [Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking](http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Light-New-Scandinavian-Cooking/dp/1579653405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233329105&sr=8-1). _Viestad also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
To read more about Norwegian cuisine, [click here](/features/going_global/norwegian/intro)._
The _gjetost_ or brown goat cheese in this recipe is not made from milk but from whey that is cooked until caramelized. It is also known as fudge cheese, and a version called Ski Queen can be found in many American markets. Lars Tyssebotn's brown goat cheese makes this dish one of my favorites.

_**Editor's note:** This recipe is adapted from chef Paul Flynn of The Tannery in Dungarvan, Ireland._
Once widely eaten, game lost its popularity in Ireland in modern times, as palates became unaccustomed to its distinct flavors. But smart breeders of venison are now creating meat with a milder and more mainstream taste without losing any of the noble game's intrinsic qualities. Irish chefs are happy to pay their tribute. At The Tannery, the garlic used in this recipe is wild, gathered from nearby hedgerows. Irish butter, with its high fat content, will add a particularly rich flavor, but regular American butter can be substituted.

Our all-time favourite snack — salty, spicy, dried meat — also makes a great garnish for salads, soups and vegetables when finely shaved with a sharp knife. Creative cooks even blend it into pâté to spread on toast. Drying meat and fish was a necessary method of preservation prior to refrigeration.
The concept isn't the sole preserve of Afrikaners, though. An earlier delicacy — tassal meat — was similarly prepared: strips of meat were rubbed with salt and coriander, laid in vinegar for a time, then panfried. In rural communities, black tribes would cut up and dry the flesh of animals that died accidentally or of natural causes (cattle were seldom slaughtered for food).
The Swazi people call it umcweba or umcwayiba. Coriander seeds, formerly brought from Asia, are an essential ingredient in the preparation of good biltong. The name is Greek for bedbugs — nasty goggas that the seeds resemble!

The Lenz Winery, one of the oldest on Long Island, has had the same winemaker, Eric Fry, since 1989\. Fry's mantra is "Ripe fruit!" — and hows in the Lenz Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has an amazing concentration of flavors, an intense raspberry and black-cherry nose, and smooth tannins that provide a long finish. In short, it's a perfect partner for Fry's deeply flavored venison stew.
In this satisfying harvest dish, venison is browned, then oven-braised in wine. Fry puts any leftovers on a roll for lunch.